, 1887-12-29
FILLED WITH RICH MINERAL
DEPOSITS AND COVERED
WITH TIMBER.
A Section OF Paradise within
Easy Reach Of Spo-
kane Falls.

tefmeO tne phu.uduuIo VI Au"hVS 40
the most northern county In the
territory, and the largest; 1t is about
100 miles north and south and 30
wide, being nearly twice as large as
the kingdom Of Denmark, and close
onto the size of Ireland. II contains
three OF the largest, most picturesque
and beautiful lakes In the northwest
the Occur d'Alene, Pend d. Oreille,
Kanaskai and part Of the Kootenai.
The wealth and population OF the
county, as yet, Is but small, but both
are fast increasing. The entire pop.
ulation. outside Of the Indians, is not
much over 5000 and the assessed
value Of the property exceeds $780,
600. 1t has over 500 miles OF navi-
gable waters, more good lumber
trees and greater quantity OF pay
able mineral deposits than any other
one county In the United Statee.
Besides its own vast resouces,'it
has tributary to It, occasioned by the
peculiar lay of tho mountain ranges
and waterways, a country fully ~
large and as rich as ltself-that por.
tlon Of the KOotenai country In
British Columbia on the north.
PRND D. oREILLE LAKE,
the largest lake In the county, Is 81
miles long, extending from Sand
Point where the Northern Pacific rail.
road crosses the lower, west end OF
the lake, about 25 miles eastward and
then south, where lies tho largest
portion OF the lake. to Steamboat
landing, at what is called the head
Of the lake, which is Just eight miles
southeast of Chico station on the
Northern Pacific. The width Of the
lake is all the way from four to twelve
miles, and at the center Il is all Of
thousand feet deep, Timber covered
mountains loom up oil surrounding.
and when draped, as At present
writing, with misty wind-blown
clouds, and rain. washed pines. stand
forth clear on the snow-c0vered
ground the "Ponderay" presents a
very pleasant picture. Besides the
smaller streams such as Pack river,
lightning. Gold creek and others
enjoying into the lake. IL receives
at the northeast corner, the Clark's
Fork river, which ia formed by the
Jocko, Missoula, Bitter Root, Black
foot and Deer Lodxe rivers and its
head waters coming from beyond
Butte City, Montana. From the
northwest corner, or arm, OF the
lake flows the Pend d. Oreille river,
one Of the principal branches of the
great Columbia river.
The lake, of course. IL navigable to
all its points, and the Clark's Fork
river, up 10 miles to Cabinet Land
ing, and the Pend d. Oreille river,
down 8S miles to Calispell Falls. AT
the falls, which are Of no height TO
speak of, is a solid granite island In
the middle of the river; by building
a fifteen foot lock, which John Rus
sell says could he readily done for
SlOO, 900, light draft steamers could
run up the river 80 miles further,
down to, and beyond the iich Meta
line district. Next spring George
Ellis, Of Sand Point, intends to put
Z small propeller boat 33x9 feet on
the lake to carry supplies, ore, etc.
to and from the different mining
camps, and will also put boat below
the Calispeli Falls and make regular
trips to and from the Metaline
county.
Aroun d Pend d. Oreille lake and
along the streams that empty into
it are hundreds OF acres of level bot
tom and meadow lands on which
grass grows luxuriantly. Out north
OF Sand Point IL level open.timber
country where bunch grass is over
knee deep in June time, affordlng
an excellent summer cattle range,
and the bottom land furnishes the
hay for winter feed; but as a genesal
ching the winters are mild and open.
There are many open timber lands
round about the lake, which are
being fast settled up. John Russell,
merchant at Sand Point, uho has
been resident OF Pend d. Oreille
for the last thirteen years, has an
orchard OF apples, plums, berries etc.
vegetables and garden truck grow
readily and yield abun0antly. With
fne doury potatoes, that will grow
for the planting, never failing sup
ply Of f1sh, deer and other game are
plentiful In the hills near by, with
black berries, raspberries, Strawberries
and huckDeberrles thick In the
mouutaius, and dry 6rewOod
carried to ones door by the
waters Of the lake, q llv.
Ing is easily obtained In the
Pend d. Oreille; and when one views
the ready range and feed for
cattle, the large quantity Of fine